The Ministry of Defense is seeking Shs130bn to facilitate the maintenance of 23,919 Local Defense Unit (LDUs) that were recruited recently to assist security agencies quell the spate of crimes that have marred the country.
While appearing before the Parliamentary Defense and Internal Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Wilson Mbadi, the Deputy Chief of Defense Forces revealed that the recruitment of LDUs created a number of budgetary implications for the Ministry, thus exerting financial pressure on the Ministerial budget.
Mbadi told the Committee that the Ministry has been grappling with a shortfall of Shs14.9bn in wages for the LDUs for the last financial year, Shs26 billion wage shortfall for this year, clothing Shs45.3 billion, food component Shs39.7 billion and fuel , operations and training-Shs4.6 billion.
During the meeting, Margaret Lamwaka (Kitgum Woman MP) tasked the Minister of Defense, Adolf Mwesige and Mbadi to clarify on the ongoing atrocities by the LDUs in communities to which Mbadi noted the cases being heard in communities are sidelined ones and the perpetrators will be punished according to the law.
It should be noted that following the high profile murders of former Arua Municipality MP, Ibrahim Abiriga and former Buyende DPC, Muhammad Kirumira, President Yoweri Museveni proposed a number of security measures including recruitment of LDUs to beef up security around the country.
